COMMUNITY leaders who feel they have been left in the dark over controversial plans to build up to 600 homes in their village are calling on residents to speak out at a special exhibition.

Initial ideas for the development on greenfield land and the neighbouring brownfield site of the former Wardle Storey’s factory, in Brantham, will be on display at the village leisure centre on Tuesday.

It will be the first time residents have had a chance to see what is in store for the industrial estate since the major redevelopment was mooted last May.

Paul Revell, Brantham Parish Council chairman, said the majority of the village was opposed to the plans, fearing the area could not support so many families.

“It’s not the right site for development and we don’t think we will ever get the brownfield site developed," he said.

“Apart from that, we couldn’t accommodate the homes.”

Landowner, the St Francis Group, which specialises in redeveloping contaminated former industrial sites, says it needs millions of pounds generated by building and selling 300 homes on open farmland to fund a further 300 homes on the industrial estate opposite – the former home of plastics firm Wardle Storey, which shut six years ago.

The housing, it is thought, would pay for the £20million cost of redeveloping the old site.

A planning application for the site is expected to be submitted to Babergh District Council early in the new year.

  • Have your say at the consultation between 8am and 8pm on Tuesday at Brantham Leisure Centre, New Village.